Chain-welding machine



' CHAIN WELDING MACHINE Filed oct. 18, 1919v 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwn@ 1to1 MMS. mn,

Aug. 2l

A. E. PETERS CHAIN WELDING MACHINE Filed 00T'. 18 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented fug. 21, 1923.

ARTHUR E. PETERS, 0F NEAR YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHAIN-WELDING MACHINE.

Application led October 18, 1919. Serial No. 331,617.

To all whom t may. conce/Mz Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. PETERS, a citizen of the United States, residing near York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Welding Machines, of which the following is a speci- 'catiom reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to automatic means for controlling the movement through. a chain-welding machine of a chain Whose links are being welded at their joints.

It is an object of the invention to provide a mechanism for this purpose that will cause the chain to move intermittently through the machine after intervals'of rest of the length required for the proper welding of the joints. l

The mechanism provided by the invention is adapted to be associated with chainweldng machines of types now commonly in use, and it includes means whereby the length of the intervals between theprogressive intermittent movement of the chain may be altered to meet varying demands of serv- When read in lconnection with the description herein, the characteristics of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed, for purposes of illustration. v

While the disclosures herein are considered to exemplify what now is considered a preferable embodiment of the invention, it

1s vto be understood that it is not the intention to be limited necessarily thereto in inter retation of the claims, as modifications an adaptations within the limits of the claims can be made without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention.

Like reference-characters refer to correspondin parts in the views of the drawings,

clutc Fi 3. l ,av-in Umore, articularreference to the view on the line 5;-5,

drawings, A designates anelectric or otherv l chain-welding machine that .includes means for moving a. chain. progressively therethrough and for welding its joints, a chain B being shown as moving in unwelded condition into the left side of the machine and out of the machine at the right side after being welded. Machines that so act being common in the art, and the details of the mechanism thereof not pertaining directly to the present invention, a machine of this sort is exemplilied merely to the extent necessary to exemplify a typical organization of such a machine. Journals C. carry a main shaft D, which actuates the operative parts of the machine through the instrumentalit of any suitable parts, such as, for examp e, gears E and shafts F, and the main shaft is rotated by a clutch G and a continuously-rotating drive-shaft H.

` The welding-machine shown by Fig. 1 includes a table I, chain-feed levers J connected withthe shafts F, and arms K mounted on the levers in such manner that a projecting-pin L thereon may bev brought 1nto proper position to contact periodically with links between the ends of links connected with them vto advance the chain through the machine. .Mounted on the' shaft D is a cam M'arranged to operate oppositely-disposed swaging-hammers, of which one is shown by the drawing and designated by N,

and also to operate weld` g-jaws O through the instrumentality of evers P. The jaws have seats Q against which rest links to be welded. They also have electrodes R, which also act as compressing members for links to force ends thereof together when being welded, and a central electrode S constituting a j aw. During slidin movement of the jaws O, current passes t rough one of the electrodes R, through the link bein welded, thence through the central electro e or jaw. S into another link on the'other jaw O-and through it to the other electrode,

In machines of this sort, the mechanism that moves the chain is actuated periodically, after welding of a .link or links is completed, to bring the next succeeding link or links into positlon to be acted on b the electrie or other welding means emp oyed.. In some chain-weldingI machiles now in use such movement of the chain is produced by@ thev o erator, as by swinginga lever and throwing aclutch and lthus the len h of the vwelding periods is left tothe'ju gment the operator, and the machine requires his constant attention.

The mechanism provided by this invention is so arran ed and so associated with such a machine t at the chain will be moved automatically and progressively through the in achine, the movements occurring after links have been in welding positions uniform periods and irrespective of )the attention of an operator and without its being necessary for him to operate any parts.

This mechanism includes a lever 6, which may have been used for manually throwing a clutch or the like to cause the chain to progress. In the embodiment shown, the lever is ulcrumed intermediately of its ends, as on a pivot 7 on the machine; at one end it has a cam member 8 arranged to cause a spring-controlled member of the clutch to engage the other member and thus cause rotation of the main shaft D and actuation of the chain-moving mechanism; and a spring' 9 normally maintains the lever in a position to permit the spring-controlled clutch member to remain out of clutching position.

The spring 9 also maintains Athe lever on the side opposite to the clutch-operating end against a lcam 10, which is substantially clrcular in the major portion of its periphery and which has an eccentric portion 10 arranged to swing the lever and thus throw the clutch members into engagement and cause actuation of the chain-advancing mechanism of the machine.

The cam is fast on a shaft 11 journaled in bearings 12 on a bracket 13 attached to the machine. A ratchet-wheel 14 also is fast on shaft 11, and its retrograde movement is prevented b a pawl 15 kept'in contact with thewhee by a sprin 16. The pawl is journaled on a shaft 17 1n the base of a standard 18. The standard has a guidewa 19 in which a member 20 is reciprocable.

pawl 21 is pivotally mounted on one end of the member 20and it is kept in enga ement with the ratchet-wheel 14 by a coi -spring 22 secured thereto at one end and extending at an inclination to the line of movement of the member to its other end where it is connected to the standard.`

A roller 23 is mounted on the other end of the member 20, and the spring 22 operates, not only to maintain the pawl 21 against the ratchet-wheel 14, but also the roller in contact with the periphery of a wheel 24 mounted on the continuouslyro tating drive-shaft H. L

The wheel\24 has on its rim a'series of projections or teeth v25, ythe outer ends of which are pointed-or otherwise formed to aord bearing-surfaces for the roller 23 that are inclined with respect to the periphery of' the wheel.

the continuous rotation of the meagre of the cam 10 will move around vagainst and swing the lever, whereby the clutch is operated and the main shaft D andthe v chain-advancing mechanism actuated. The parts will be retained in these operating positions by the cam-eccentric for the time required to move welded links from and unwelded links into welding position, and then operation will be discontinued as the cameccentric passes from the lever and the parts returned to normal or inactive p'ositions as a result of action of the lever and clutch springs.

The member of 24 ordinarily is suc as to ive suiiicient reciprocatory movement to t e member 20 to impart one complete rotation to the cam and thus swing the lever at the end of the periods required to weld links under normal conditions and with the drive-shaft H running at normal speed. In order to alter this period to meet changed conditions, the projections 25 are detachable from the wheel 24, so that their number ma be decreased to decrease the frequency o reciprocation of the member 20 and thus increase the length of the periods between which the eccentric portion of the cam operates to swin the lever and move the chain, or their `num er increased to increase the frequency of lever operation and .chain movement.

In order that the projections ma be rojections on the wheel placed on and removed from the whee the i wheel-rim is formed at intervals with mortises 26, and the projections are formed with' tenons 25a arranged to seat in these mortises and to be held therein by screws 2,7.

Havin thus described myinvention, what I c aim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, isf 1'. In a chain-welding machine having a main shaft, a clutch, and a drive-shaft arranged to drive the main shaft through the clutch, Athe combination of a lever ar-` ranged to operate said clutch, a shaft, a cam fast on said shaft, a sprin holding said lever in contact with sai cam, a ratchet-wheel fast on said shaft, a guideway, af'member .reciproca-ble in said uideway, a pawl on said reciprocable mem er in engagement with said ratchet-wheel, and a rotatable member on said drive-shaft ar- `ranged to o crate said reciprocable member;l

In `a-c ain-welding machine having mamv shatfa clutch, and a drive-.shaft arf ranged to drive the main shaft through the clutch, the combination of a member arranged to operate said clutch, a cam positioned to operate said member, aratchetand-pa-Wl mechanism arranged to rotate said cam and including a reciprocabie operating member, a Wheel on said drive-shaft having a rim formed at intervals With mortises, and projections on said Wheel arranged to operate said reciprocable member, said projec- 10 tions having tenons seated in said mortises. In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

ARTHUR E. PETERS. 

